This was an okay book. It was a little slow to read, but it picked up in the last few chapters of the book. I had no idea until I read the author's note at the end, that the book was based on a true story about the lives of 5 Sicilians in the United States in the late 1800s. ( )

Calogero lives in Tallulah , Louisiana with his 4 uncles and his cousin. Two more cousins live in a nearby town. The only Sicilians in the entire Parish, they operate grocery stores and a fruit stand. Prejudice, jealousy and fear in a strictly segregated society cause a violent reaction. Based on a true occurrence. ( )

RGG: Slow moving story about late 19th century racism in the South towards not just African Americans, but also Native Americans and Sicilians. The last fifty pages when the racism comes to a hilt and leads to a lynching is fast moving and dramatic. Reading Level: 12-14.

RGG: Slow moving story about late 19th century racism in the South towards not just African Americans, but also Native Americans and Sicilians. The last fifty pages when the racism comes to a hilt and leads to a lynching is fast moving and dramatic. Reading Level: 12-14.

Alligator Bayou is a historical novel that is written for readers who are twelve years old and older. This book is a first person account of the experiences of Calogero. Calogero is a fourteen-year-old boy who was born in Sicily. It is the 1890's, and his father disappeared long ago. After Calogero's mother dies, his younger borther Rocco is taken in by neighbors; Calogero is sent to live and work in the United States. In his new country, Calogero lives with his "cousin" and "uncles" who are actually close family friends. The group lives in the small town of Tallulah, Louisiana.

However, life is tough in Louisiana. In this community, racial tensions run high, as black people and Sicilians are treated as second class citizens by the town's white people. Adding to the trouble is the fact that some of the Sicilians have little knowledge of English. Moreover, Calogero's girlfriend is a young black girl, and he "fraternizes" with her family and friends. A series of mistakes and misunderstandings causes the white people's suspicions and hatred to rise to the surface as the immigrants face a life or death situation.

This book addresses the realities of life faced by "outsiders" in a small southern town over a hundred years ago. Alligator Bayou expands our ideas of the effects of Jim Crow laws in the South near the turn of the twentieth century. The book contained descriptions of the physical punishment undergone by the victims of racial discrimination. The story was engaging and easy to follow. The author showed the readers that skin color, as well as a person's ethnic heritage and religion, combined to bring out the worst in some people. However, the saving grace of Napoli's story comes when these same qualities bring out the best in others. This novel would be perfect for an American history class to study to learn about Jim Crow laws and racial discrimination.